Apparatus for drying printing inks



Oct. 7; 1958 c. A; RIEGER APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTING INKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1956 Bnvcntor L CHAR/.2; A. RiEgER Att' s 7 Oct. 7, 1958 c. A. RIEGER 2,855,190

APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTING INKS Filed March 2, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor CHARLES A. R/EGER Oct. 7, 1958 c. A. RIEGER APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTING INKS Filed March 2, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor CHARLES A. R/EGER Attys Oct. 7, 1958 Filed March 2, 1956 C. A. RIEGER APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTING INKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor c/meurs A. R/E'GER United States Patent Ofiice 2,855,190 Patented Oct. 7, 1958 APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTING INKS Application March 2, 1956, Serial No. 569,208

8 Claims. (Cl. 263-3) This invention relates to an apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet mate rial, and has particular application in the drying of printing inks which have been applied to sheet material (for example, paper, waxed paper, and some synthetic films) in a horizontal-roll printing press, although the invention also has application to the drying ofink applied to sheet material in other types of printing presses.

The invention is specifically concerned with a drying apparatus of the type in which the inked sheet material is traversed in a horizontal plane across a heating device which includes a burner for a combustible gas, the burner having an exposed flame.

With previously proposed constructions of drying apparatus of the above-mentioned type, there has been a great risk of igniting the sheet material in the event that the traversing of the sheet material through the apparatus is discontinued or retarded, the risk arising from the time lag in extinguishing the flame at the burners, and the tendency of the sheet material to sag and contact the burners, which may be at a temperature sufiicient to ignite or char it. This risk is particularly great in previously proposed constructions, as previously it has been found necessary to use a single high-pressure burner, which burner reaches a very high temperature when in use.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind set forth in which the risk of igniting the sheet material in the event that the traversing of the material through the apparatus is discontinued or retarded is mitigated, or completely eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drying apparatus of the kind set forth, in which the flame at the burners is almost instantaneously extinguished in the event that a drive for the traversing means is discontinued or retarded.

A further object is to provide a drying apparatus of the kind set forth, in which the sheet material is rapidly cooled, and is restrained from contacting the burners until such time as they have been adequately cooled, in the event that the drive to the traversing means is discontinued or retarded.

A still further object is to provide a drying apparatus of the kind set forth, which is of simple construction, and less costly to manufacture than previously proposed constructions.

According to the invention, the sheet material is traversed in a horizontal plane over a plurality of burners which are arranged transversely of, and below, the horizontal portion of the sheet, and means are provided which, on the discontinuance or retarding of a drive to the traversing means, will interrupt the supply of gas and increase the supply of air to the burners so that the flame at the burners will be almost instantaneously blown out and the burners will be subjected to a blast of cooling air rality of the jets are provided beneath the sheets of material, the jets being directed upwardly toward the bottom surface thereof and connected through the intermediary of a normally closed control valve with a supply of compressed air, the valve being operated to its open position in the event that the drive to the traversing means is discontinued, or retarded, the compressed air issuing from the jets serving to cool the sheet material and to lift it away from the burners.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the compressed air is supplied to the jets for a limited predetermined period only after the actuation of they valve to the open position, the valve then closing to dis- I continue the supply of air.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout several views, and in.

Which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the drying apparatus, the printing rollers of an adjacent horizontal-roll printing press being indicated in the figure; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, to a larger scale than Figure 1, showing the construction of the.

apparatus in greater detail than in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view to a larger scalethan Figure 2, showing one of the burners of the apparatus;

and,

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of the electrical Wiring of the apparatus.

Referring firstly to Figure l, the sheet material 10,

is stored on a reel 11 and passes under the drying apparatus (indicated generally at 12), between pinch rollers in a horizontal plane after it leaves the printing rollers 14 and before it passes over the water cooled roller'15.

A canopy 15a is provided over the burners 15 to carryaway the fumes from the burner and from the drying inks.

Arranged in a parallel series below the horizontal POI-- tion of the sheet, as will be seen more clearly in Figure:

2, is a plurality of burners 20, which, for convenience, are arranged in two banks of three. The ends of the burners at near side of the apparatus are connected to manifolds 21, and the ends of the burners at the other side of the apparatus are connected to manifolds 22. The manifolds 21 and 22 can be of any desired form,

the ones shown in the drawings being fabricated, for con-- venience of manufacture, from standard plumbers bends and junctions.

Air is supplied to each of the manifolds by a blower 23 driven by a motor 24, the air from the blower being passed to the manifolds through a main conduit 25 and branch conduits 26, 27 and 28. The conduits 26, 27'

According to a further feature of the invention, a plu-;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3;

are connected to'the manifolds 21, and the conduit 28 is connected-to-the-manifold 22. Ametering device- 26a, 27a of any known construction, is provided in each of the branch conduits 26, 27, the metering devices being supplied with a combustible gas through pipe lines 29, 30.

If desired, metering devices can be included in each of the pipe lines 29, 30, so that one of the banks of burners-*can b'e arranged 'tohaVe a heatoutput which'isdifferent to that of the other bank. In this case each of" the metering devices 26a, 27awould' be independently adjustable to insure the'correct air to gas ratios, but preferablythe metering devices are of the venturi type in which theratio of gas to air is-automatically-determined.

Thepipe lines 29 and 30 areconnected to a common pipeline 31 whichis'provided' with a metering device 32, asolenoidoperated cut-off valve 33, and a shut-off cock 34. The valve-33' is normallyclosedand isopened when its'solenoid winding is activated;

The air supply conduit 28 is providedwith a; solenoid the-valve controlling a" supply of compressed air to the conduit. I

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, which show in greater detail the construction of one of the burners, the

other burners beingof identical construction, the burner includes. .a: tubularmember 50. having. upwardly directed ribs 51, 52 formed longitudinally on its outer surface. The ribs 51, 52 define a channel 53 which is in communication with the interior of the tube 50 through apertures 54, the channel being filled with a screen 55, formed byrarlength of crimped metallic foil which is packedinto the groove in a random manner with the crests of the crimps; extending parallel to the side walls formed by the ribs 51 and 52. In this way a very large number of small orifices are provided through which the mixture of air andgasxcan escape, the mixure as it emerges from the orifices beingignited by the devices 42 as hereinbefore stated.

Mounted: on the .ribs 51 and 52 is aslide 56 and a slide 57, the slide 57 carrying the device 42, and the slides being located on, the ribs by dovetails 58 so that they can he slid longitudinally of the burner and screen offpredetermined portions of the channel 53. In this way the width; of:.the.flame produced by the burner can be confinedto that of the width of the paper which is being passedthrough the, apparatus, thus economizing' in-the amount of. gas. used. in the apparatus.

Itawill be seen that the. burners are of very simple construction, and in consequence inexpensive to manufacture. Also, by using a series of burners arranged transversely of the sheet material andspaced longitudinally thereof, the burners can each have'a relatively low heat output in view of the fact that the sheet material is subjected to the heat for a relatively long time as comparedzwith the: duration of heating of the sheet material in an'apparatus utilizing a single high pressure burner, and, in consequence, the burners can be operated at a relatively low pressure.

The functioning of the apparatus will now be described The sheet material 10 is installed in the press and passed through the-apparatus aspreviously described with reference to Figure 1.

A master start switch is then depressed to establish a circuit, through lines 81, 82, a normally closed master stop switch 83, solenoid winding 84, and line 85, the lines 81 and 85 being connected across the power supply of the press above the conventional fuses 86 thereof. When the solenoid 84 is energized it closes contacts 87 of a master relay in the circuit of the winding of the motor ofthe press, indicated'at- 88, and, in so doing, establishes a hold'in circuit for the solenoid winding 84 through line-89, switch 83, solenoid winding 84',- and line 85.

Conneetedin parallel with the solenoid 84-is the solenoid winding 90 of a relay 91, the relay 91 being'in series with a solenoid.winding. 92 of a relay 93, andfa-potentiometer 94. The circuit for the solenoid winding 92 includes line 95, potentiometer 94, line-96, solenoid winding 92, line 97, relay 91, and line 98, the circuit being in parallel With the winding of the motor 88.

Whenthe circuit for the-motor '88 is initially established. through the contacts'87, the: armature of the'rnotor is' stationary and thus is not tgenerating'any back E. M. F, resulting in a'drop in the line voltage. Thepotentiometer 94 is so adjusted that'the'line voltage applied" across.

the solenoid winding'92 atthis time is insufficient for the solenoid to actuate the relay 93. As the speed of the motor 88 rises, the back-E. M. F. generated by the. motor rises, and, in consequence, the llIlG'VOllflgfiiiSfI'CStOIGd to its original 'value, at which time the voltage applied'across:

the solenoid" 92 is suflicient'for it to actuate the relay'93'.

At this time the motor '88 has reached a predetermined.

speed, and the sheet material is passing throughthepress and the auparatus'at a speed at'which it would not be raised to a dangerous temperature'in the event that'the burners were put into operation:

When relay 93 is actuated, it establishes a. circuit from a power line 100, through the'contacts of' the relay 93, line 101, solenoid winding 102, line 103, and supply line 104, for a purpose hereinafter referred to, and additionally establishes a circuit through line 106, the solenoid windings of the valves 33 and 38 in parallel, and

line 107 back to the power line 104. This results in the.

opening of valve 33 to supply gas to the burners, and the closingof the valve 38 to discontinue the additional supply of air for purging the burners. It will be noted that neither of the valves 33; 38'can be operated until such time as the motor 88'has reached the. predetermined" speed selected by adjustment of the potentiometer 94.

The solenoidwinding 102 forms part of a pre-set timing relay of any known construction, in which the contacts of the'relay are closedby the solenoid 102 when its winding is energized, and are opened after a predetermined time delay by a motor unit 112 of the relay.

Should'now the'swit'ch 83 be actuated to stop the press,

the circuit for the solenoid winding 84 is interrupted'at the switch, as isthe-circuitfor the solenoid winding 90. This allows the relay 91'to return to its unactuated position in which the circuit of the solenoid winding92 is interrupted which in turn'allows the relay 93 to returnto its unactuated position.

When in its unactuated position, the relay 93 establishes a circuit from the power line 100, through the contacts of the relay 93, line 110, relay contact 111, motor 112, line 113, and line 103back to the power line 104. The motor 112 is thus energized and proceeds to move the contact 111 to an open position, the contact 111 opening, for example, after a time delay of five seconds. A circuit is also established from the line 110, through a relay contact 115 which is ganged with thecontact 111, line 116, the solenoid winding of valve .46, and line 107 backtothe power line 104. Thus, the solenoid windingof the valve 46- is actuatecl to open the-,valveand to allow compressed air to pass into the conduit 44, where it is directed by the jets 45 onto the under side of the sheet material to rapidly cool the sheet and also to hold it out of contact with the burners.

Simultaneously with the return of the relay 93 to its unactuated position, the circuit for the solenoid windings of the valves 33 and 38 is broken, thus allowing the valves to move to a position in which the supply of gas to the apparatus is discontinued and the supply of air to the manifolds 22 is established, this occurring simultaneously with the establishment of the supply of compressed air to the jets 45. Due to the opposed flows of air in the tubular members of the burners, any remaining gas is quickly purged and the flame at the burners is almost instanta neously extinguished, while at the same time the interior of the tubular members is scoured by the increased flow of air and the burners are very rapidly cooled to a temperature at which there is very little danger of them igniting the sheet material, should it come into contact with them.

Thus, the sheet material will come to rest in the apparatus on the closing down of the press, with both the burners and the sheet material at a temperature at which there is little hazard of igniting the sheet material.

Should the switch 80 now be operated to re-start the press, there will again be a time delay in the opening of the gas valve 33 and closing of the air valve 38, for the reasons previously described, and also the solenoid winding 102 will be energized to re-set the timing relay.

Should an overload develop in the apparatus or the press, so that the longitudinal movement of the sheet material is retarded due to the speed of the motor 88 dropping, a drop in line voltage will occur across the motor for the reason previously mentioned, and in consequence the relay 93 will move to its unactuated position to discontinue the supply of gas, establish the supply of air to manifolds 22, and establish the supply of compressed air to the jets 45, again removing the hazard of igniting the sheet material.

' Should the sheet material break some time after it has passed through the printing rollers 14, there is little danger of igniting the sheet material, as it has been found in practice that the portion of the sheet material adjacent to the printing rollers immediately wraps itself around the rollers, and the portion of the sheet material adjacent to the water cooled roller 15 is immediately withdrawn from the apparatus onto the roll 18. It will thus be seen that it is of little consequence whether the drying apparatus is operating or not, should the sheet material break. If desired a web sensing device of any known construction can be provided, the device operating a switch in series with the solenoid winding 84 and the solenoid winding 90, to open the circuit in the event of the web breaking.

Whereas the apparatus described is of particular application where it is desired to use low pressure burners, WithWi'liCh there is a tendency for the flame to linger at the burners, it is also of application where it is desired to use a high-pressure burner, as, in this case, although the flame at the burner would almost instantaneously be blown out on the interruption of the gas supply it is still necessary to quickly cool the burner.

If the apparatus is to be made as a unit separate from the press, the motor 88 would be used for driving the roll 19, and the motor would be interlocked in any known manner with the motor of the associated press.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet material, including in combination, means for traversing said sheet in a substantially horizontal plane, burners arranged below and transversely of the said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to said burners, means disconnecting said supply of gas and increasing said supply of air in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, a plurality of jets arranged beneath said sheet material, said jets being directed towards the bottom surface of said sheet, a supply of compressed air to said jets, a normally closed electrically-operated valve controlling the supply of compressed air to said jets, means for energizing the operating mechanism of said valve to establish said supply to said jets in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, and means for automatically de-energizing the operating mechanism of said valve after a predetermined time delay.

2. Apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet material, including in combina tion, means for traversing said sheet in a substantially horizontal plane, burners arranged below and transversely of said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to said burners, means disconnecting said supply of gas and increasing said supply of air in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, a plurality of jets arranged beneath the said sheet material, said jets being directed towards the bottom surface of said sheet, a supply of compressed air to said jets, a normally closed electrically-operated valve controlling the supply of compressed air to the said jets, means for energizing the operating mechanism of said valve to establish said supply to said jets in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, and an electricallyoperated time delay switch in the circuit of the operating mechanism of said valve, said switch de-energizing the operating mechanism of said valve after a pre-determined time delay to permit said valve to move to its closed position and cut oflf said supply of compressed air to said jets.

3. Apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet material, including in combination, means for traversing said sheet in a substantially horizontal plane, a plurality of burners arranged below the horizontal portion of said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, each of said burners including a tubular member extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet, said tubular member having a perforate upper surface, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to the interior of each of said tubular members at one end thereof, means for supplying air to the interior of each of said tubular members at the other end thereof, a first valve controlling said supply of gas to said one end, a second valve controlling the supply of air to said other end, and means for closing said first valve to discontinue said supply of gas to said one end and for opening said second valve to establish said supply of air to said other end in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded.

4. Apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet material, including in combination, means for traversing said sheet in a substantially horizontal plane, a plurality of burners arranged below the horizontal portion of said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, each of said burners including a tubular member extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet, said tubular member having a perforate upper surface, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to the interior of each of said tubular members at one end thereof, means for supplying air to the interior of said tubular members at the other end thereof, a first valve controlling said supply of gas to said one end, a second valve controlling the supply of air to said other end, and means for closing said first valve to discontinue said supply of gas to said one end. and for opening said second valve to es- 7 tablish saidsupplyof. air totsaid second end in the event that the drive to said traversing means isdiscontinued or retarded, a plurality of-jets arrangedbeneath said sheet material, said jets being directed towards the bottiin sur-' face of said sheet, a supply of compressed air to said jets, a normally closedelectrically-operated valve controlling the supplyof said compressed air to said jets, means for energizing the operatingmechanismof.said valve to establish said supply to said jetsiinr the event that the drive to said traversing means is. discontinued or retarded, and an electrically-operated time delay; switch in the circuit of the operating mechanism of said valve, said switch deenergizing the operating mechanism ofsaid-valve after a pre-determined time delay to permitsaid valve to move to its closed position and cut ofi saidsupply of'compressed air to said jets.

5. Apparatus for drying printing inktwhich has been applied to a lengthofsheetmaterial, including in combination, means for traversing-said'sheet in a substantially horizontal plane, a. plurality of burners arranged below the horizontal portion of said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, each of said burners includinga tubular member-extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet, said tubular member having a* perforate upper surface, slides associated with said upper surface by which said perforations can be selectively masked, a manifold at each end of' said tubular members, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of.air to one of said manifolds, means. for igniting the mixtureoftsaid gas and airemerging fromsaid' perforations, means for supplying air to the other ofrsaidmanifolds, a. first valve controlling said supply of gas, a second valve controlling the supply of air to said other manifold, and means for closing said first valve to-discontinue said supply of gas to said one manifold and for opening said second valve to establish said supply of air to said second manifold in the event that the drive to said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, a plurality of jets arranged beneath said sheet material, said jets being directed towards the bottom surface of said sheet, a supply of compressed air to said jets, a normally closed electricallyoperated valve controlling the supply of said compressed air to said jets, means for energizing the operating mechanism of said valve to establish said supply to said jets in the event that the driveto said traversing means is discontinued or retarded, and an electrically-operated time delay switch in the circuit of the operating mechanism of said valve, said switch de-energizing the operat ing mechanism of said valve after a pre-determined time delay to permit said valve to move to its closed position and cut off said supply of compressed air to said jets.

6. Apparatus: for drying printing ink whichhas been applied to a length of sheet material by a printing press, including in combination with an electricallydriven printing press, means for traversing said sheet in a substantially horizontal plane after it has been passed through the printing mechanism of said press, burners arranged transversely of, and below the horizontal portion of said sheet, each burner having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material, means-for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to said burners, a first valve controlling said supply of gas, a secondvalve controlling a conduit through which a further supply of airrcan beefed to said burners, means for closing said first valve to discontinue said supply of gas and for opening said second valve to establish said further supply of air to said burners in the event that the drive to said press is discontinued or retarded, a plurality of jets arranged beneath said sheet material, said jets being directed towards the bottom surface of said-sheet, a supply of compressed air to said jets, a normally closed electricallyoperated valve controllingrthe supply of said compressed air 'to said jets, means for energizing the operating mechanism of said valve to establish said supply to said jets in the event that the drive to said press is discontinued or retarded, and an electrically-operated time delay switch in the circuitof said operating mechanism of said valve, said switch de-energizing the operating mechanism of said valve after a predetermined time delay to permit said valve to move to its closed position and to cut 01f said supply to said jets.

7. Apparatus for drying printing ink'whichhas been applied to a length of sheet material by a printing press, including in combination with an electrically-driven printing press, means for traversing saidsheet ina substantially horizontal plane after it has been passed through the printing mechanism of said press, a plurality of burners arranged below the horizontal portion of said sheet, each burner having orifices. directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside, of the sheet material, each of said'burners including a tubular member extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said'sheet, said tubular members having a perforate upper surface, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air. to the interior of said tubular members at one end thereof, means for supplying air. to the interior of said tubular member at the other end thereof, a first valve controlling .said supply of gas to said one end, a:second valve controlling the supply of air to said other end, means associated with said press'for closing said first valve to discontinue said supply of gas totsaid one end and for opening said second valve to establishsaid supply of. air to said other endin the. event that the driveto said press is discontinued or retarded, a plurality of jets arranged beneath said sheet material, and directed towardsthe bottom surface of. said sheet, a supply of compressed air to saidjets, a normally closed electrically-operated valve controlling the supply of compressed. air to said jets, meansfor energizing the operatingmechanism of said valve to establish said supply to said jets in the event that the drive to said press is discontinuedror retarded, and an electrically-operated-time delay switch in the circuit of the operating mechanism of said valve, said switch de-energizing the operatingtmechanism of said valve after a pre-determined time delay to permit said valve to move to its closed position and-cut otfsaid supply of compressed air to said jets.

8. Apparatus for drying printing ink which has been applied to a length of sheet material by aprinting press, including in combination with an. electrically-driven printing press, means for traversing said sheet ina substantially horizontal plane after it has. been passed through the printing mechanism of said press, a plurality of burners arranged below the horizontal portion. of said sheet, and having orifices directed towards and substantially perpendicular to the underside, of. the sheet material, each of said burners including a tubular member extending in a. direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet, each of said tubular members having a perforate upper surface, slides associated with said upper surfaces by which said perforations can be selectively masked, a manifold at each end of said tubular members, means for supplying a combustible gas and a supply of air to one of said manifolds, means in proximity to said perforationsof said tubular members for igniting said supply of gas and air, means for supplying air to the other of said manifolds, a first valve controlling said supply of gas, a second valve controlling the supply of air to said other manifold, means for closing said first valve to discontinue said 'supplyof gas to said one manifold and for opening said second'valveto establish a supply of air to said second manifold-in the event that the drive to said press is discontinued -'or retarded, a plurality'of jets arranged beneath said sheet'material, said jets being directed towards th'e'bottom surface of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reed June 21, 1910 Malam Sept. 20, 1938 Hess et a1 Jan. 6, 1942 Fieldhouser et a1 June 30, 1942 Oifen May 27, 1947 Zimmerman Feb. 9, 1954 

